DIY Dyed Bottle Brush Trees + Styling a Narrow Mantle

In addition to contributing some holiday DIY projects (like my agate wreath), I also styled my mantle for Hello Holiday.  My mantle is super narrow and has two unsightly vents that impede any efforts to make it look good, which is why I normally "style" it with a collection of rocks and call it a day!  But I was up for the challenge of styling a narrow mantle because I knew this would be a perfect excuse to go crazy with DIY dyed bottle brush trees, which are small enough to spruce up (see what I did there?) even the skimpiest mantle.

I bleached and dyed most of the bottle brush trees various shades of mint and teal, but I left a few of the trees green.  I clipped some real evergreen branches and arranged them in my huge West German pottery floor vase. 

The DIY dyed bottle brush trees turned out so well and the project was so simple!

Supplies:

• Lemax Pine trees (I used two packages of 21)*
• Bleach (I used a low splash variety from Target)
• Rit Dye (I used teal and aquamarine, and mixed them)
• Rubber gloves (I only wish mine were this pretty)
• Bucket
• Old towel 
• Stiff bristle brush 

How to bleach + dye bottle brush trees

*I ordered the plain bottle brush trees but was accidentally mailed the snow-covered ones, with no time to return them.  The bleach removed the "snow" from some, but not all of the trees.  If you try this, definitely get the plain bottle brush trees - which is what I linked to.  I have heard good things about the Tim Holz bottle brush trees, which already come bleached with a pretty wood base, but I liked having variety in the sizes.



My packages of Lemax trees were a little rough around the edges.  I didn't worry about re-shaping them until after the bleaching and dyeing, but I did do a lot of trimming because mine had some rogue branches:

 
Once I was done fussing, I put on my rubber gloves and grubby clothes and got to work.  I poured some bleach into a small container and started dunking my trees in, one at a time, until all of the colour was removed.  Eventually the bleach would get sludgey and murky, so I'd dump it and start fresh.  Some people dilute the bleach, but full strength worked just fine for me.  After bleaching, I gave each tree a rinse and set it aside.

I mixed up two buckets of concentrated Rit dye, using only about half the water recommended by the manufacturer.  I dunked a tree and set it aside to dry upright (with a towel to protect the surface from dye) - no rinsing required.  Then I dunked another tree in the dye mix, but let it soak for a few minutes, then removed and let dry.  I played around with each tree, letting each one absorb the dye for a different period of time.  Sometimes I dunked a tree in both dye mixes.  Near the end, I mixed the two dyes together and kept dunking trees.  I only used two colours of dye, but ended up with a lot of variety with this method.

I spent a couple of hours bleaching and dyeing these trees, and sequestered myself in the laundry room because it did make a bit of a mess.  When all of the trees were dyed and dried (over night), I brushed them with a stiff bristle brush to restore any wonky branches to their proper shape.  Unfortunately, some of the ones that arrived really smooshed never bounced back, but once they're on the mantle in a grouping, they look fine.

I love the vintage feel of the pastel hues - and how they really pop against my dark grey fireplace.

The candle holders are a thrift store find, which I cleaned, lightly sanded and spray painted a cheery mint.  They have the same shape as the trees, so I thought they would be a perfect way to add some height and interest - plus the mantle looks so cozy when the candles are lit!

Behind the trees are two DIY painted "skies," inspired by the moonlit look of my teal bottle brush trees.  I grabbed two scraps of wood from my wood pile and painted them black and teal, to mimic the Northern Lights we see over the lake.  I added specks of white acrylic paint to look like stars - or falling snow.  These paintings hide the vents successfully, but they also add some drama to my mantle decor.

Last year my light up celebrate sign hid the vents, so this is clearly going to be an annual challenge!

I'm really pleased with my foray into styling our narrow mantle - it's definitely doable!  Plus I can check "dye bottle brush trees" from my every-growing DIY to try list... 

Bathroom Update: Kohler Purist Fixtures

I've had to make some difficult decisions while planning our bathroom renovation, but choosing the fixtures was simple: I wanted Kohler.  Everyone I encountered during the planning process (including plumbers, plumbing supply and bathroom reno store employees, and random old dudes at The Home Depot who do not work there but feel compelled to share their wisdom/chat me up) insisted that the quality can't be beat.  That was all I needed to hear, because I've been drooling over the Kohler ads in my home decor magazines for years.

Handy Hubby and I chose the Purist line because it has a simple, mid-century modern inspired look that we love - and it complements our interior door hardware.  Even though mixing metals and styles is trendy right now, give me matching metals any day.  In a small home like ours, the coordination helps create the cohesive, streamlined, airy space I crave. 

For the tub, we opted for the Purist® Rite-Temp® pressure-balancing bath faucet trim and the Purist hand shower kit.  We had a hand held shower in the townhouse and loved it, so I knew from the beginning I wanted it again.  I shower at night but wash my hair in the morning, so this hand held shower is indispensable to me - plus it's perfect for rinsing out the tub after washing it, bathing the pup (if we ever have a dog smaller than a horse), and winning at water fights.  I have seen a lot of bathrooms where the hand held shower kit supplements a standard shower head, but that seems a bit redundant to us.  This is perfection.

We made a critical mistake by not measuring where we put the bracing for the bar, which was then completely covered during the tiling process - obviously!  Not to worry: we located the bracing and were able to move forward with the installation.  Other than that, installation was a breeze and we just followed the instruction manuals for everything.

One of the best features is the drain plug control, which you operate by twisting the cover for the overflow - this means no reaching in to a scungy tub to pull a drain cord!  In my mind, that is what total luxury looks like.

I accidentally ordered the wrong tub spout.  I had originally wanted this spout because the profile is the same as the Purist lavatory faucets we ordered for the vanity.  But when this arrived, I really liked the shaped and so I kept it.  This is my version of mixing and matching ;)



I have seen a lot of people (like Emily Henderson) use the Kohler Purist line in the brushed gold, so ordering the vibrant brushed nickel was a gamble because I hadn't seen it in person or even on any design blogs.  Happily, I wasn't disappointed - it's beautiful!  The brushed nickel on some cheaper faucets at the home improvement store really varies and some have a really yellow cast.  This finish is perfect - exactly what you would expect from a high quality, brushed nickel finish.  It's been really easy to clean, too: I just wipe it down gently with water and buff dry with a towel to ensure there are no water spots.  It takes seconds and there are no harsh cleaners involved.  I am just thrilled!



In these photos you can get a better sense of the beautiful shimmer and organic feel of my tile choice - and it's so easy to clean, thanks to the large size and minimal grout lines.

Baby steps toward a finished, functioning space!  The walnut cabinetry is getting installed today, which means the counters and aqua sinks will be installed soon... 

Disclosure: After choosing my finishes and fixtures, I reached out to Kohler and was thrilled when Kohler agreed to collaborate with me on this bathroom reno.  All design choices and opinions are my own.  I was not asked to provide a review about the projects.  I am just jazz hands excited about finally having some high end bathroom faucets!  Oh yeah, and showering inside - another major luxury.

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DIY Agate Slice Wreath

Yesterday I showed you a sneak peek of the Hello Holiday guide - did you spot my holiday DIY projects?  The agate slice wreath I made is definitely my favorite!!  I absolutely love this modern spin on a classic grapevine wreath.

It has such a cool, organic feel thanks to the grapevine and irregular agate slices.

How I came up with the idea is kind of a funny story.  Hubby and I were driving home one night and I was brainstorming wreath ideas, lazily scrolling Pinterest on my phone.  I joked that making wreaths seemed to be competition in gluing weird things to a wreath form.  We started naming really ridiculous things one could affix to a wreath and, all of a sudden, agate slices popped into my head!  You know I love rocks, gems, and minerals - I even have a whole Pinterest board devoted to them!  (My agate slice pendants and framed agate slices are still very popular posts, so I know I'm not alone...)  Once I had the idea, I was fully committed!  We turned the truck around and hit up the craft store for a grapevine wreath and some wire, then I tracked down the perfect agate slices on Etsy.

Supplies:

• Grapevine wreath (mine is 18")
• Spray paint (optional)
• 10-12 agate slices (I bought mine from this seller, Amazon has multi-colour lots)
• 22 gauge wire
• Wire cutters
• Needle nose pliers

First I spray painted my wreath gold, but you can leave it natural.  I purchased 10 dyed agate slices from an Etsy seller and she helped me choose stones with a similar scale and colour.  They're all between 2.5" - 4" (except the one bonus mini she sent me).

To affix the agate slices, I looped a piece of wire around one end of the agate, twisting it tightly at the back. You can do this by hand, but needle-nose pliers help.  Be careful not to over-twist as metal fatigue can cause the wire to snap.  If your wire has snapped a few times, upgrade to a lower gauge wire.  It will be a bit stiffer to work with, but will be stronger – especially good if you have little kiddos around who might be tempted to tug on the shiny agate slices.  (If you're really committed to the look, you can also use glue instead of wire, but wire affords some flexibility because the wreath could be dissembled in the future).

Next I cut a second piece of wire and looped it around the other end of the agate slice, twisting it tightly as well.  With a loop at each end of the agate, I brought the tail ends of wire together at the back of the agate slice and twisted them together.

Then I simply twisted the wire on to the grapevine wreath and buried the tail.  I worked my way around the wreath, layering the agate slices for a natural look.

Check out Hello Yellow for more tips, ideas for wire wrapping, and more photos. 

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The Secret Project - Hello Holiday!

I've been hinting at some serious crafting happening in the lakehouse and I'm excited to finally be able to spill the beans about what I've been making!

By now you know that Leon's Furniture launched a great new blog this year.  Hello Yellow features DIY projects, room makeovers, renovation stories, practical tips (like how to care for your appliances), and so much more.  I've been contributing posts, along with a group of fabulously talented bloggers.

For the holidays, Leon's launched something special: Hello Holiday, a digital guide with 92 (!) pages of inspiration: crafts, recipes, holiday decorating ideas, and a peek at some gorgeous furniture!  You can find the whole magazine by clicking here.  If you see a project or room you like, just click on the image and it will take you to the full how-to post on Hello Yellow!

Here's a taste:

DIY Sequin Wreath

Guest Room Makeover

Felt Wreath Pillow

Holiday Party Appetizers

This week I'll be sharing a closer look at the four projects I contributed, with some behind the scenes details and links to the full posts - in case you didn't spot them in the guide!

I'd love to know what you think about Hello Holiday.  I'm incredibly proud to have played even a small role in such a great holiday guide.  It seems the holidays came so early this year (seriously - Christmas ornaments before Halloween?!?) and I'm totally resenting the Christmas music already playing in stores, but so many of the ideas in Hello Holiday are perfectly wintry and cozy so the timing feels just right!  I'm going to be trying out some of the recipes just to snack on - forget holiday entertaining!

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Scandinavian Inspired Lighting

Thanks so much to everyone who weighed in on my keep the pine/don't keep the pine dilemma.  There was near unanimous agreement for keeping the pine in its natural, un-painted state - especially considering my plan to keep the guesthouse very neutral, with Scandinavian-inspired touches.  Given that it's technically a sauna building - and I'm half Finnish - it feels right!  So now I'm slowly inching my way toward that vision but with cold temperatures approaching, I might have to settle for a good clean (it's pretty messy out there!), maybe address the lighting and window coverings, and save the floor painting/bathroom reno until next spring because we don't heat that space.  I don't mind waiting because then I will have all winter to window shop!  That's not a bad way to hibernate...

If you're feeling the Scandi vibe too, you might be interested in a new-to-me source for Scandinavian-inspired lighting!  I was approached by Parrot Uncle (an online shop with a huge modern lighting inventory) to collaborate with them and I was immediately drawn to their wooden light fixtures.

This Nordic style ash wood flush mount is the first fixture that caught my eye.  It's on sale right now for about $160 - which is so reasonable!  I immediately envisioned using two of them in the guesthouse, but caught myself wondering if maybe that was too much wood...

If I was picking something for the main house, this glass and wood flush mount fixture would help create the mid-century mod feel I covet.

If I had more clearance in the guesthouse, I'd be all over this pine cone shaped pendant light.

This huge pendant light is begging for a spot over a kitchen island in a pared back space with lots of white and maybe a dash of marble with light wood floors. 

This grouping of beaded wood pendant lights is so on-trend right now.  Until now I've only seen these on their lonesome, but I do prefer a grouping like this because it makes more of an impact.

This rubber wood pair of pendants references atomic design, but the wood grain softens the space age influence.  I also like that it isn't just a naked bulb.

I can't say I'd want to dust this wood slat pendant light, but it would be a great way to introduce mid-century inspired slatted designs on a small scale. 

There are actually so many gorgeous hanging light fixtures, but this sculptural, spherical pendant light might take the cake.  It's mesmerizing and I'm sure it casts beautiful shadows, perfect for a moody dining room.

 

This is just a small selection of the modern lighting they offer - no wonder Parrot Uncle is recommended by Houzz!  I picked these fixtures to share because they're so unique and some of these designs feel really fresh - at least I haven't seen them elsewhere.  Of course, Parrot Uncle caters to every style (from Industrial to Traditional), but the modern style wooden hanging lights were obviously among my favorites.

If your interest has been piqued, I asked about discounts and here are some coupon codes to use:

Numberone5% for vintage industrial lights (already 20% off)
Numbertwo5% for wooden lights (already 20% off).

Plus, there are a few promotions on right now and great discounts already applied.  You can even get a 10% discount on new products!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Parrot Uncle but I was not given any editorial direction.  The content of this post and the products highlighted were all chosen by me.  Parrot Uncle is new to me, but their prices seem incredibly reasonable and when I asked about coupon codes, I was thrilled when they offered a few additional discounts on items already on sale - sweet!

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